Spyfall: Part One

Well the last episode of Doctor Who I saw was a rewatch. The Time of the Rani: Part 4.

What a contrast. This was a cinematic epic with South Africa standing in for Australia, Ivory Coast and California.

It was more than being just a James Bond pasiche. Spies are incapacitated and their DNA are being re-written. The Doctor is called into action by C. As in the Bond movie Spectre, C stands for Careless, he gets shot dead.

Writer Chris Chibnall has a go at tech companies that love to capture private data. The alien menace seemed to be more Torchwood inspired. The cliffhanger reveals the real spymaster and maybe there is a nod to the film, The Matrix.

Chibnall still likes exposition in his dialogue but it might be we are used to the Moffat era where it was all explained away as being timey-wimey.

I started this episode with very low expectations. Being the biggest fan of the Davies and Moffat era of Who, loving the Doctors 9 through 12 and their brilliantly complementing companions, season 11 with its absurd (in the wrong sense!) writing, cramped dialogue and characters which were not built up at the end of the season broke my Doctor Who loving heart. So, I thought maybe they packed it out this season and turned the show back to its glory. Unfortunately this was a big no.

You can easily tell somewhat more budget went into this episode. Stunning locations, decent to good CGI, etc. But, this won't ever cover the fact that I still don't know who the companions are. And I continue to wonder why there are bloody three of them. There is no possible dialogue to build a personality of, the writers force the "they are now best friends" schtick on them but to me they are just faces with some sentences attached to. I feel not a single emotion from them, and I don't even blame the actors for this, I believe it's because of the fact that there are so many there is no room for the characters to breathe and get gritty. Two companions work! Rose and Jack were an excellent duo, so were Amy and Rory. They worked because one character was introduced first, and then the other came, leaving room for both to develop as characters and people.

We have a lovely little twist at the end which, as any Who fan probably, got me to sit a little closer to the edge of my seat. But the episode was bittersweet to me. I had no idea what was going on, and suddenly we are surprised with a twist, making things even more complicated.

I do have a bit of hope for season 12 but I beg of the writers to ditch one or two of the companions and for Jodie, who I have seen in countless brilliant shows and films and that's why I have somewhat hope, to find the essence of the Doctor, because I feel like she's grasping for it but really not quite there.

A well-rounded return with a surprise twist! Not perfect by any means, but it is the opener and the storylines are still playing out.

Energy. Style. Something for everyone to do. Moments for Whitaker to shine. Any actual sense of threat or urgency.

Pretty much everything missing from the previous season was brought thrillingly back with Spyfall. We don't have the full narrative yet, so most answers remain unresolved, but all you can ask from a Part One is that it has enough mystery to see you through to the end and leaves you wanting more. Spyfall does it perfectly.

Best episode of the show since Moffat left.

Some people aren't going to like the Doctor being a woman. Jodie Whittaker could play the role for longer than Tom Baker and people would still complain. People need to embrace change I think.

I thought this James Bond inspired episode (Part 1 of 2) was a lot of fun, fleshing out the 13th Doctor a little bit more, and her 'fam'.

There's some lovely moments, some nice action sequences, and a strong twist to round of the half.

This for me continued the good form the New Years Day Special started.

Keep doing as you're doing Doctor Who, you can't please everyone.